Maybe football will start winning again, like that time when they won the championship..........
way back in the 60’s…
Actually I think new coaching then moving the games to Friday or Saturday nights under the lights may really help the program out. What is really frustrating is when you see them play on week 2 then see them play on week 8 and they don’t look much different. I know the kids are pretty bright so you can’t really blame them. At the rate this district is growing, they will be 4A before you know it. Hopefully they can get the program straightened out before then.
Maybe football will start winning again, like that time when they won the championship..........
way back in the 60’s…
Actually I think new coaching then moving the games to Friday or Saturday nights under the lights may really help the program out. What is really frustrating is when you see them play on week 2 then see them play on week 8 and they don’t look much different. I know the kids are pretty bright so you can’t really blame them. At the rate this district is growing, they will be 4A before you know it. Hopefully they can get the program straightened out before then.
You’d be surprised. I go all over the state to watch PA H.S. football games. A different game every other week and during the playoffs every week. Attendance is much better. The team becomes identified with the community not just the school. More kids then go out for the program. In some cases the program pays for itself. Granted you still need to do something about coaching. I also think lights will attract good coaching. The team is more visible to the community and has more of the community behind it. As more money comes in it becomes more important to the athletic department, it shows a commitment to improve the program, etc. I have watched entire programs go from lousy to some of the better programs in the state with the addition of lights and a new coaching staff.
You’d be surprised. I go all over the state to watch PA H.S. football games. A different game every other week and during the playoffs every week. Attendance is much better. The team becomes identified with the community not just the school. More kids then go out for the program. In some cases the program pays for itself. Granted you still need to do something about coaching. I also think lights will attract good coaching. The team is more visible to the community and has more of the community behind it. As more money comes in it becomes more important to the athletic department, it shows a commitment to improve the program, etc. I have watched entire programs go from lousy to some of the better programs in the state with the addition of lights and a new coaching staff.
Actually I wouldn’t be surprised, because I don’t subscribe to that philisopy. I played football at KD years ago (under tim dietrich..gave it up for soccer though) and in my opinion: better attendence isn’t going to make the team win, and to me neither will lights, again, just my opinion. And nothing you say about other schools in the area will change my mind. The lights don’t make attendance better, winning does. Of course a team with a winning record or a playoff chance will have a much better attendance. (When the girls soccer team made it to districts the first time (late 90’s), I never saw more fans then that one night.) Most other areas also have a really great pee-wee program and that to me is what makes a team (and a good coach). I could careless if a school has lights or not when it comes to football games. I want to see a team that can play well, complete passes, and actually score touchdowns. So in a sense, I guess I could go to KD games and watch the other team do all that.
When has football ever won at KD? Take away one season waaaay back in the early 70’s (when John Gemmil was the quarterback) and the team a couple of years ago that won a few games when have they ever won? The truth is that until they got the coach they have now they usually didn’t win any games at all or maybe one per year. They only got a pee wee team in a few years ago, lets see how they do once all of those kids start playing at the high school. I know the numbers of kids playing football now at KD is a lot more than there used to be when my son went there. When my son went there (late 80’s) I don’t think they won a game in 4 years. Also, I don’t think that the football team gets a lot of support from the school or the community. They have no lights, a lousy concession stand, a terrible field and stupid looking bleachers on the visitor side. I don’t think that the coach has any control over any of those things. From what I hear he spends a ton of time trying to get the kids to work out in the off season like all the other teams do now, but a lot of them won’t do it. I don’t think you can blame him for that either.
Maybe football will start winning again, like that time when they won the championship..........
way back in the 60’s…
Actually I think new coaching then moving the games to Friday or Saturday nights under the lights may really help the program out. What is really frustrating is when you see them play on week 2 then see them play on week 8 and they don’t look much different. I know the kids are pretty bright so you can’t really blame them. At the rate this district is growing, they will be 4A before you know it. Hopefully they can get the program straightened out before then.
aaaah yes adding lights will help.
In the spirit of volunteering, I will bring my truck to the field and turn my headlights on to the field to help light for night games.
When has football ever won at KD? Take away one season waaaay back in the early 70’s (when John Gemmil was the quarterback) and the team a couple of years ago that won a few games when have they ever won? The truth is that until they got the coach they have now they usually didn’t win any games at all or maybe one per year. They only got a pee wee team in a few years ago, lets see how they do once all of those kids start playing at the high school. I know the numbers of kids playing football now at KD is a lot more than there used to be when my son went there. When my son went there (late 80’s) I don’t think they won a game in 4 years. Also, I don’t think that the football team gets a lot of support from the school or the community. They have no lights, a lousy concession stand, a terrible field and stupid looking bleachers on the visitor side. I don’t think that the coach has any control over any of those things. From what I hear he spends a ton of time trying to get the kids to work out in the off season like all the other teams do now, but a lot of them won’t do it. I don’t think you can blame him for that either.
They actually won a championship in the 60’s (John Bach was on the team), the game ball used to be on display when I was in school.
Maybe football will start winning again, like that time when they won the championship..........
way back in the 60’s…
Actually I think new coaching then moving the games to Friday or Saturday nights under the lights may really help the program out. What is really frustrating is when you see them play on week 2 then see them play on week 8 and they don’t look much different. I know the kids are pretty bright so you can’t really blame them. At the rate this district is growing, they will be 4A before you know it. Hopefully they can get the program straightened out before then.
aaaah yes adding lights will help.
In the spirit of volunteering, I will bring my truck to the field and turn my headlights on to the field to help light for night games.
Where do you think the money will come from and where do you think the money will end up if the state takes over funding? Do you think it is the responsibility of the the state to pay to educate the children of your community? Do you think it is politically possible that SYC school districts will get the $$ it deserves or is owed to it from the state? Do you think if the $$ filters down through the state before it gets to the schools the cost per student will go down?
Look at http://www.setrc.net and click on “School Property Tax Elimination” under “Announcements”. HB 1275 explains where the money can come from , how it will be divided (per pupil across the board), how a special education fund will be established to keep it out of the general fund, AND tools to help schools control cost. If only the politicians would bring it to the floor for a vote…
I have read HB 1275 (along with all the fine print) and that is not the answer. I have lived in various areas of PA all my life (except for a few years) and I just don’t believe that HB 1275 can work the way you think it will.
I have read HB 1275 (along with all the fine print) and that is not the answer. I have lived in various areas of PA all my life (except for a few years) and I just don’t believe that HB 1275 can work the way you think it will.
I have read HB 1275 (along with all the fine print) and that is not the answer. I have lived in various areas of PA all my life (except for a few years) and I just don’t believe that HB 1275 can work the way you think it will.
Can you tell me why you don’t think it will work?
If the money is payed locally and stays local we cannot get short-cahnged to the larger metropolitan areas. If you understand anything about PA politics you have to be suspisous of where this money will end up. I will restated: This is NOT Maryland. Things don’t work the same way here. I don’t care what HB 1275 says, I can tell you that a few years down the road there will be new laws, the state will take on more responsibility to divvy out money and the larger areas are going to be the winners. This is just the pattern in PA. Folks who move here need to undserstand the politics of the state. If there is one thing PA politicians are good at is shuffling around money to the larger constituencies. With all due respect, for those folks who originally come from the Baltimore suburbs in MD, it’s time to face facts. Politically you are no longer the big dogs. Also, although property taxes are an issue around the state they are only a <u>very large issue<> in growing areas like this. Thanks to Baltimore we kind of live in Disney land around here and frankly I don’t think most other Pennsylvanians around the state are willing to gamble away a sytem that has worked for them just for us spoiled relatively wealthy Southern York countiers (if that is a word). Family and friends I have in other parts of the state basically tell me “if your porperty taxes are too high, buy a smaller house”. These people understand the politics of the state understandably don’t trust the state based on that history. If you look at the contractual mandates of SESD right now, where do many of them come from - the state. They are already costing us money and you wantt us to trust them even more which is ridiculous based on what many long term residents know about the history of the politics of the state.
There may very well be other solutions but a state takeover of school funding in a fairly libertarian state when compared to Maryland just is not going to go anywhere.
The funding should not be based on property value. If you think that the rich should pay more, then make it a county payroll tax or whatever, but base it on wages, or what you spend, but not on your house value. It is not fair to the seniors, nor is it fair in a rental unit where you can be schooling 10 kids on a 130k assessment. I don’t think what size of a house you have matters, how do you buy a home and budget for your taxes to increase 100% in 4 years? Family and friends you have in other parts of the state are not experiencing that. Want to keep it the same, then give seniors real relief and give others who pay private school tuition a tax credit. Then when they are done educating their kids, they can pay for everyone else’s.
I have read HB 1275 (along with all the fine print) and that is not the answer. I have lived in various areas of PA all my life (except for a few years) and I just don’t believe that HB 1275 can work the way you think it will.
Can you tell me why you don’t think it will work?
If the money is payed locally and stays local we cannot get short-cahnged to the larger metropolitan areas. If you understand anything about PA politics you have to be suspisous of where this money will end up. I will restated: This is NOT Maryland. Things don’t work the same way here. I don’t care what HB 1275 says, I can tell you that a few years down the road there will be new laws, the state will take on more responsibility to divvy out money and the larger areas are going to be the winners. This is just the pattern in PA. Folks who move here need to undserstand the politics of the state. If there is one thing PA politicians are good at is shuffling around money to the larger constituencies. With all due respect, for those folks who originally come from the Baltimore suburbs in MD, it’s time to face facts. Politically you are no longer the big dogs. Also, although property taxes are an issue around the state they are only a <u>very large issue<> in growing areas like this. Thanks to Baltimore we kind of live in Disney land around here and frankly I don’t think most other Pennsylvanians around the state are willing to gamble away a sytem that has worked for them just for us spoiled relatively wealthy Southern York countiers (if that is a word). Family and friends I have in other parts of the state basically tell me “if your porperty taxes are too high, buy a smaller house”. These people understand the politics of the state understandably don’t trust the state based on that history. If you look at the contractual mandates of SESD right now, where do many of them come from - the state. They are already costing us money and you wantt us to trust them even more which is ridiculous based on what many long term residents know about the history of the politics of the state.
There may very well be other solutions but a state takeover of school funding in a fairly libertarian state when compared to Maryland just is not going to go anywhere.
First of all, I am not comparing PA to MD. I have lived in PA for 20 years. Since I moved into my home, it has been reassessed twice and the assessment has more than doubled. Not only am I paying more taxes due to the annual increase levied by the school, I am paying way more due to the assessments. By the way, I understand the politics of PA completely. Don’t assume everyone who is fed up with the school taxes is a recent transplant.
Paying taxes on assessments is the most unfair means of taxing possible:
No. 1 - The assessment of one’s home/property is not an indication of their wealth.
No. 2 - My house is an expense, it is not a money-maker.
No. 3 - My house is worth nothing, unless I want to sell it.
No. 4 - I bought my house in 1988 for MUCH less than what it is currently assessed.
No. 5 - The assessments are subjective.
Secondly, there is a companion bill to HB 1275, which provides for a constitutional amendment which GUARANTEES that, once eliminated, school property taxes would be gone forever and that a future legislature could never re-institute the taxing of our properties.
The funding should not be based on property value. If you think that the rich should pay more, then make it a county payroll tax or whatever, but base it on wages, or what you spend, but not on your house value. It is not fair to the seniors, nor is it fair in a rental unit where you can be schooling 10 kids on a 130k assessment. I don’t think what size of a house you have matters, how do you buy a home and budget for your taxes to increase 100% in 4 years? Family and friends you have in other parts of the state are not experiencing that. Want to keep it the same, then give seniors real relief and give others who pay private school tuition a tax credit. Then when they are done educating their kids, they can pay for everyone else’s.
I don’t necessarily disagree with some of your points. I think the issue is whether the funding occurs from the state or locally. I’m just pointing out that we do pay low property taxes compared to other SDs even after the 100% tax increase. Around the state and in many of those areas property taxes are not as big an issue as they are around here - and that is the reason son why the problem will not get fixed at the state level. The solutions must be local. As far as the increase goes, the reason they were increased so much is because they were too low to begin with. I don’t know how much flexibility the school board has for funding but I believe they could get relatively creative. That would be interesting to know if anyone on the forum has the answer for that. If they could swing it legally I think there are a lot ways they could get income included those you mentioned.
- Local sales tax
- Local income tax(maybe have different rates for unearned and earned)
- A 5-8% ONE TIME development tax on the sale of BRAND NEW homes. this money could go into a special capital budget, after all it is the growth that is causing all the capital expenditures at the schools anyway why should the developer make money and taxpayers have to foot the bill?
I suppose they could also be a little entrepreneurial and unorthodox about it.
- Have some kind of special after school program for for kids whose parent work and charge them. Parent could just pick them up on the way home from work
- I always considered this area pretty darn windy. I know the district has some farmland they should see if it is feasible to put up some windmills and make some regular income from them.
- Have clubs and camps during the summer and charge the kids to attend
- If they want to put up lights in sports fields, chances are pretty good from what I am hearing that Coke or Pepsi will do it for nothing if we allow them to put up a little bit of advertisement and sell their products at the games - we’re going to be selling it anyway.
- See if they could get together with other area SDs, pool the medical insurance plans together, maybe arrange some kind special program with in network local doctors and hospitals - they go out of network they just use a standard insurance that should be cheaper because your not using it for standard routine medical visits. I am not a big Rendell fan but I understand he is proposing something like this from the state level. This is something the state government may actually be able to do right.
- For children who are performing above and beyond in certain subject, have classes during the summer for a few weeks and charge a tuition. Introduce advanced topics, have a lot of outdoor labs, field work, and activities. If a parent gets a letter sent home saying his kid qualifies for this great program, they just may jump at it.
